Travel Advisor Success Story: Chesleigh Lloyd, Elevate Travel

1 month ago 4

Travel Advisor Success Stories focus on veteran advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Chesleigh Lloyd of Elevate Travel.

How did you get your start as a travel advisor?

After spending over 15 years in the corporate world, I started to feel a strong pull to do something different. I wanted to find a career that would excite me and make me genuinely look forward to work each day.

One thing I knew I was passionate about was travel, so becoming an advisor seemed like a natural fit. It started as a ‘side hustle’ for me – but I only wish I had made the leap to doing this full-time sooner. It’s been an incredibly fulfilling career change! I pinch myself daily that this is my ‘job.’

How did you build your business over the years?

Building my travel business has been a rewarding journey. I love being able to help others experience the world and make memories. I pride myself on being detail oriented and providing personalized itineraries for my clients based on what they are looking for. My goal is to provide the wow factor to each and every one of my clients, whether they are planning for a quick weekend getaway or a bucket list trip.

I feel so thankful to receive referrals from existing clients. Word of mouth when building a small business is huge. Instagram has also played a huge role in growing my business. Through social media, I’ve been able to showcase my own travel experiences along with featuring client trips. It has been fun to connect with new clients from around the US.

What characteristics make you a successful advisor?

I love traveling myself and treat each client trip as if it were my own. I enjoy putting final touches on every itinerary, and my goal is to take care of everything from start to finish. I want my clients to step off the plane and experience something new without any worry and have everything taken care of. My passion for travel plays a huge role as I stay up to date on the latest travel trends and destinations so I can offer the right recommendations.

As much as I would like to visit every hotel and country myself, that isn’t realistic (although I have a nice long wish list), so I focus on building relationships with many of our partners from around the world, and I love that they treat my clients like their own.

What have your greatest challenges been?

Working from home can sometimes feel like you’re on your own little island. I’ve learned to network with other advisors and not to be afraid to ask for advice, recommendations or help. I’m also a bit of a self-proclaimed Type A workaholic ,so delegating can be tough for me but I’m getting better each day!

What have your greatest accomplishments been?

Building a successful business from the ground up has been so rewarding, and I’m so proud of the business and client base I have built. After going through breast cancer treatment at 40, it was very important to me to live my life to the fullest and enjoy what I do. I wake up every day excited to get to work.

With my background in sales, I thrive on meeting the goals I set for myself. I’m proud to say I was a top producer with Virtuoso this past year. I was also recently asked to be a part of the new Travel Experts Advisory Board. I’m looking forward to taking on this role with the host agency I’m honored to be a part of.

What tips can you provide advisors new to the industry?

What you put into your business is what you take out of it. I work more now than I did before but I love what I do! I would also say it’s important to build relationships with other advisors and have a mentor. Always be open to learning, as this is an ever-changing industry we are a part of.

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